Fort Riley water tower advertising The Big Red One military unit sits off of Highway 70 upon approaching the town of Junction City. With the return of the unit to Fort Riley, the town is experiencing a population boom as well as an influx of developers and contractors.

Lance Hoover, Lawrence, center, steps off of a decorative retaining wall that he and other First Management construction workers Billy Kelly, left, Lawrence, and Scott Stafford, Lawrence, right work on building Thursday at The Bluffs apartment complex in Junction City. Many Lawrence workers with the Lawrence-based company First Management are working on the $50 million project.

A gnome relaxes on the sidewalk between two newly built duplexes as another construction project continues in the background of the Hilltop subdivision. Hilltop is a project that is being constructed by Red Barn Homes, which is led by Lawrence builder Roger Morningstar, who along with his partners plan to invest $26 million in Hilltop and other housing projects in Junction City.

Former soldier and Junction City resident Anna Witherington grabs her one-year-old son Bryant's nose as the two play in their home Thursday. Witherington along with her husband Staff Sgt. David Witherington, who is based at Fort Riley are one of the first couples to purchase a home in the Hilltop subdivision.